Do you have something you’d like to give away but don’t want the hassle of transporting it across town or further afield? Or how about a skill or a piece of equipment you’d be willing to lend or would like to borrow?
If so, Streetbank is for you.
Streetbank is a community sharing and giving website, connecting you with neighbours living within a mile of you. It helps reduce waste, save money, free up space – and build community. BRAG had a visit from Streetbank founder Sam Stephens this week, and we’re on board – its philosophy is very much in line with BRAG’s mission to recycle, reduce and reuse.
Using Streetbank is easy: you register on http://www.streetbank.com and then post what you have to give away or lend. Your offer goes out to people living with a mile of you, and they contact you via the site if they want to take up your offer. And you likewise receive your neighbours’ offers.
Here are some Streetbank figures:
£30: The value of the average item shared
1,500: The number of people meeting through Streetbank every month
60,000: The number of Streebank members (as of November 2014)
£22,000: The amount saved per month
184 tons: The amount saved from landfill in 2014 because of Streetbank
81: The number of countries in which Streetbank is present.
By end-2016, Streetbank expects 150,000 people to meet through the site and save £2.5 million.
Streetbank started out in Hammersmith and Fulham; 70% of its membership is UK based and 30% is based in London. Streetbank is now spreading in Hounslow, so why not sign up: it’s a great chance to meet some neighbours and strengthen your community ties, as well as finding a new home for items you no longer want.
For more information, please see www.streetbank.com.
Streetbank is a not-for-profit organization and is registered as a Community Interest Company. It is funded by the Cabinet Office’s Innovation in Giving Fund. It recently merged with The Freeconomy and The Sharehood, making it the biggest neighbourhood sharing site.